In all types of system or enterprise operations, security is a major issue that is becoming increasingly important. The introduction of distributed computer access to systems, while providing great benefits, also creates numerous risks. Unauthorized accesses to systems can potentially cause sizeable losses.
In one example, semiconductor manufacturing has become more efficient and effective, allowing tools to be remotely access by system users. The remote access is useful to offset the large support costs. However, remote access for semiconductor manufacturing also implies that there are new requirements for security.
Conventional systems do provide for security measures in operations such as semiconductor manufacturing, but conventional security does not necessarily provide a solution that responds appropriately to changes. For example, in a conventional system, security often involves network paths (NP), products and platforms (PP), application security (AS), and business process (BP). However, the individual components of security generally do not work together in unison, thus resulting in less than adequate security in a modem environment.